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When to plant in The Colony, TX

USDA Zone 8b

The Colony, Texas frost dates, USDA zone, and a full-year planting calendar, drawn from the nearest NOAA station and tuned to the local season.

With about 259 frost-free days, The Colony supports back-to-back plantings; stagger sowings every few weeks to keep beds productive spring through fall. Heads up: the nearest complete-normals station is about 18 km from The Colony, so your yard's frost dates can differ — a low spot or a paved city center can shift them by a week. Zone 8b means many perennials and even some tender shrubs overwinter in The Colony, while your frost dates still decide when annuals go out.

Station · RICHARDSON · 18.2 km
Last spring frost
March 7
50% chance · 32°F
First fall frost
November 21
50% chance · 32°F
Growing season
259 days
frost-free
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Frost calendar for The ColonyA year-band showing 32°F frost risk from January to December for The Colony: last spring frost around March 7, first fall frost around November 21, about 259 frost-free days between.
Shaded months carry frost risk; the clear span is the average frost-free season.

Frost probability

RICHARDSON · 1991–2020

The date the last spring and first fall frost occur, by threshold and probability. A 90% date is later in spring — and earlier in fall — than a 10% date; the 50% · 32°F row is what most gardeners plan around. These are The Colony’s own odds, recorded at RICHARDSON.

Frost-probability curves for The ColonyProbability of the last spring frost and first fall frost by date at 32°F. The last spring frost is most likely around March 7 and the first fall frost around November 21, giving about 259 frost-free days.
Last spring frostFirst fall frostbold = 32°F · thin = 28°F / 36°F · dot = 50% date · band = 10–90% window
ThresholdSPRING 10%SPRING 50%SPRING 90%FALL 10%FALL 50%FALL 90%
36°FApr 11Mar 21Mar 2Oct 23Nov 10Nov 27
32°FMar 29Mar 7Feb 18Nov 2Nov 21Dec 9
28°FMar 12Feb 24Jan 27Nov 14Dec 4Dec 26

Download this table as CSV ↓ — every threshold and probability, plus this city’s planting-window dates.

What to plant now

TODAY · JULY 19
Fall sowin 13 days
Brussels Sprouts
August 1August 15

Add these crops to your calendar (.ics) ↓

Full-year planting calendar

Start indoorsTransplantDirect sowFall sow

Each bar is the exact window to take a planting action in The Colony, drawn to the day from the local frost dates. The dashed line is today.

Nearby weather stations

3 within 22 km · complete 32°F normals

When stations disagree by more than a few days, that spread is real microclimate variation — elevation, water, urban heat. Judge which station best matches your own yard.

RICHARDSON
Primary
18 km · 207 m elevation
SPRING
Mar 7
FALL
Nov 21
GRAPEVINE DAM
21 km · 178 m elevation
SPRING
Mar 14
FALL
Nov 17
DENTON 2 SE
22 km · 192 m elevation
SPRING
Mar 13
FALL
Nov 20

The Colony planting FAQ

When is the last spring frost in The Colony, TX?

The Colony's average last spring frost falls near March 7 — the 50% mark at 32°F in the 1991–2020 normals. Hold tender transplants until the risk has passed, then plant out.

When is the first fall frost in The Colony, TX?

The first fall frost in The Colony typically arrives around November 21 (50% probability at 32°F). Harvest or protect frost-sensitive crops before then.

What hardiness zone is The Colony in?

The Colony is in USDA hardiness zone 8b. In zone 8b, winters are mild — many tender perennials overwinter here.

How long is the growing season in The Colony?

There are roughly 259 frost-free days in The Colony (a long growing season), running from the average last frost around March 7 to the first fall frost near November 21.

When should I plant tomatoes in The Colony?

In The Colony, start tomato seeds indoors around January 10–January 24, then transplant seedlings outdoors around March 14 once the danger of frost has passed.

Planting reminders

Never miss a window in The Colony

An email when it’s time to start seeds, transplant, and sow — timed to The Colony’s frost dates. Double opt-in, one-click unsubscribe, no spam.

Nearby cities

8 within reach

Frost dates recorded at RICHARDSON, 18 km from the city center · 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals · zone from the USDA/PRISM 2023 map. How we compute this.

Cite this page
BlissGarden. "When to Plant in The Colony, TX — Frost Dates & Zone 8b." Frost normals: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, station USC00417588. Retrieved from https://blissgarden.com/texas/the-colony.